The emeralds symbolize greed. The precious stones are closely linked with avarice and duplicity. Martin del Gato smuggles the emeralds into the country so he can make his fortune before McCracken discovers the mess he’s made of FunJungle’s finances and fires him. To sneak the stones across the border, Martin’s plan relies on wanton animal abuse:

Whenever he needed a new shipment of emeralds, he’d send a request for a big animal, like an anaconda or a jaguar. They’d go out and catch one in the wild—which is totally illegal—then do a little surgery, sewing a pouch of jewels inside the animal (261).

At least eight animals perish because of this unethical treatment. The emerald smuggling scheme demonstrates that Martin prioritizes his love of money over animals’ well-being and his employer’s trust.

Later, the infectious greed spreads to Buck Grassley. When he learns of Martin’s scheme, he blackmails the director of operations to give him a cut. When Henry eats “over two pounds of emeralds in a plastic bag” (280), Buck murders the hippo rather than wait for him to pass the precious stones. As head of security, Buck is responsible for the safety of all of FunJungle’s human and animal residents, but his greed matters more to him than fulfilling his duty.